In flood-prone regions of the country, a growing number of cities have lost confidence in the ability of the federal government’s flood maps to recognize the increasing risks that come with global warming.
From Houston to Baltimore to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and now Mexico Beach, Florida, local officials are going beyond the federal standards and have started to require homes in a much wider area—beyond the usual 100-year floodplain—to be built to higher flood-protection standards.
In Mexico Beach, the move was triggered in part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s decision to reclassify dozens of properties that flooded last year in Hurricane Michael. The homes had been in the high-risk 100-year flood zone, where flood insurance generally is required, but FEMA moved them to the minimal-risk 500-year flood zone, where flood insurance is optional.
Read more at Inside Climate News
